Verdicts and Settlements

2005, Wayne County, Michigan: $5,000,000 settlement against a petroleum hauler for the wrongful death of a 39- year-old woman who was burned to death when her vehicle hit an unlit construction barrel and struck the tanker's "wet lines." This is the first time a petroleum hauler was found liable for claims based on negligence in transporting fuel in "wet lines."

2005, United States District Court for Northern Georgia: $1,400,000 settlement against a publicly traded insurance company for breach of an employment agreement and wrongful termination.

2006, Ottawa County, Michigan: $1,350,000 jury verdict for the wrongful death of a 69-year-old male, including $500,000 for 7 minutes of conscious pain and suffering suffered in a car accident involving a drunk driver. Verdict affirmed on appeal and collected in a subsequent federal court action against the defendant, his family owned business, his bank and his attorney for hiding collectible assets in violation of the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act.

2008, Kent County, Michigan: $750,000 settlement for a 25-year-old man whose foot was partially amputated in a workplace accident when a defective hi-lo failed causing the forks to drop unexpectedly.

2009, Kent County, Michigan: $5,100,000 jury verdict for a 60-year-old truck driver against an asphalt company when the truck driver fell off his truck trying to free his trailer's tarp that was trapped due to improper loading by the asphalt company, causing him to suffer severe spinal injuries and a traumatic brain injury. The verdict included $1,200,000 for lost consortium suffered by the truck driver's wife. Case settled while appeal was pending.

2011, Bourbon County, Kentucky: $8,800,000 jury verdict for the wrongful death of a 56-year-old man caused by an asphalt truck whose brakes failed due to overweight usage and ran a red light striking the decedent's vehicle. The jury award included $3,000,000 for the decedent's 30-40 seconds of conscious pain and suffering. Prior to trial, the plaintiff settled her separate claims against the shipper who had overloaded the asphalt truck prior to the accident for $4,000,000. Subsequent to trial, plaintiff pursued claims against her underinsured motorist insurer for "bad faith," resulting in an additional $2,250,000 settlement in 2015.

2011, Osceola County, Michigan: $2,100,000 jury verdict for a 47-year-old woman who sustained a torn labrum in her hip and mild traumatic brain injury when her vehicle was struck by a semi-truck hauling logs. The verdict was affirmed on appeal by both the Michigan Court of Appeals and Supreme Court. Despite having only $1,000,000 in coverage, the defendants' insurance carrier had to pay the entire verdict as they offered only $50,000 to settle the claim while the jury was deliberating.

2013, United States District Court for Wyoming: $8,200,000 jury verdict for a 49-year-old truck driver who suffered a traumatic brain injury and multiple fractures requiring extensive orthopedic surgery, plastic surgery and rehabilitation when his semi-truck struck a New Prime semi-truck that impeded his lane of travel. Verdict paid in full with no appeal.

2013, Orleans Parish, New Orleans, Louisiana: $91,000,000 jury verdict in a triple death and personal injury case caused by a semi-truck driver's extreme fatigue. The verdict was rendered against the truck driver and her employer, as well as the broker and shipper for the load being transported at the time. The successful verdict against the shipper is believed to be the first such result against a shipper for a truck driver's negligence.

2014, Kent County, Michigan: $2,400,000 settlement on behalf of the estate of a 28-year-old man against various contractors, subcontractors and premise's owner for wrongful death in a worksite accident that caused the decedent to fall to his death in the course of a re-roofing project of an industrial facility. Intentional tort claims against the decedent's employer were included in the settlement.

2017, United States District Court for Wyoming: $28,000,000 settlement for a 29-year-old truck driver who suffered multiple orthopedic injuries and a traumatic brain injury requiring extensive hospitalization and rehabilitation when he was struck by another semi-truck while he was on the shoulder placing warning triangles.

2018, Mecosta County, Michigan: $5,600,000 settlement on behalf of the estate of a 26-year-old woman for wrongful death against a major national trucking company and its driver. The accident was caused by the defendants' failure to remove a mechanically defective semi-truck from the traveled portion of the roadway, which caused a partial blockage of the lanes of travel at which time the plaintiff's decedent's vehicle struck the rear portion of the semi-trailer. Plaintiff's decedent was single and had no dependents.

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